Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Graphic manipulation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-16
2002-04-30
Brier, Jeffery (Department: 2672)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Graphic manipulation
C345S215000, C345S215000, C707S793000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06380947
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention relate to text and graphical data user interfaces. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to displaying and scrolling a hierarchical data structure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Modern computers and data processing devices typically utilize displays such as CRT's (Cathode Ray Tubes) and LCD's (Liquid Crystal Displays) to display text and graphics data. A user interacts with an application program that allows the creation, viewing and/or editing of a data file or document on the display device. Data files or documents often contain a large amount of text and graphics data that cannot be displayed simultaneously on a display.
Computing devices typically can execute a technique known as scrolling to permit a user to navigate through a document. Scrolling is an operation in which a user issues commands to a computing device to instruct it to display a particular portion of data on a display. The user scrolls a document by issuing commands through a keyboard or mouse. Known scrolling controls include a scroll bar, consisting of an icon displayed on the display, that allows the user to instruct the computer (via a pointing device such as a mouse) to display a different portion of the document. Conventional scrolling controls provide a range of functionality, typically allowing the user to scroll data up, down, left or right.
FIG. 1
shows a conventional user interface with scrolling functionality. Typically the user interface depicted in
FIG. 1
may be implemented in a windows environment but can also be applicable to a non-windows environment. In one embodiment, the conventional user interface is a graphical user interface (GUI). The user interface depicted in
FIG. 1
includes an arrangement of control icons for performing scrolling operations. Window
105
consists of a display area
110
, left scrolling button
150
, right scrolling button
170
, horizontal scroll bar
160
, up scrolling button
120
, down scrolling button
140
, and vertical scroll bar
130
. When a user selects any of left scrolling button
150
, right scrolling button
170
, up scrolling button
120
or down scrolling button
140
by clicking on the respective scrolling button using a mouse, window
105
scrolls in the respective direction. The scrolling windows includes portions of data
14
-
26
. The position of the horizontal scroll bar
160
showing that additional data can be displayed to the left and the right, and the position of the vertical scroll bar
130
showing that additional data can be displayed to the top and the bottom. The user may also scroll window
105
by clicking and dragging horizontal scroll bar
160
or vertical scroll bar
130
in the desired direction of scrolling.
The conventional user interface illustrated in
FIG. 1
can display hierarchical data. An example of hierarchical data includes music data, e.g., artist, album and song data. A music database can contain music from three artists: artist A, artist B, and artist C. The music database can contain album E of artist A, which album E includes songs M, N and O. Album H and album J of artist B can be included in the music database, where album H includes songs P, Q, R, and S, and album J includes songs T and U. The music database can include albums K and L of artist C, where album K includes song V and album L includes song W and song X. The music data can be displayed in the conventional user interface illustrated in
FIG. 1
by including the artist data in a column A of window
105
, album data in a column B of window
105
, and song data in a column C of window
105
. Each song of the song data can be displayed on one row of rows 1-12 of window
105
. The conventional user interface of
FIG. 1
displays the hierarchical album and artist data for each of songs M-X, but the display is repetitive (e.g., displaying three instances of artist A in cell A1 (i.e., the cell located in column A and row 1), cell A2, and cell A3) and the hierarchical nature of the data is obscured.
FIG. 2
shows the user interface of
FIG. 1
displaying a portion of the hierarchical data illustrated in FIG.
3
.
FIG. 3
illustrates a hierarchical data set. The hierarchical data includes three root nodes
305
,
405
and
505
. In another embodiment, each of nodes
305
,
405
and
505
are child nodes of a parent node. Each of root nodes
305
,
405
and
505
have at least one non-terminal node. A non-terminal node is typically a node that has both a parent node and at least one child node. A terminal node (i.e., a leaf node) is typically a node that has a parent node but no child nodes. Root node
305
has non-terminal node
310
, which has terminal nodes
311
-
313
. Root node
405
has non-terminal nodes
410
and
420
, which respectively have terminal nodes
411
-
414
and terminal nodes
421
-
422
. Root node
505
has non-terminal nodes
510
,
520
,
530
,
540
and
550
, which respectively have the following terminal nodes:
511
;
521
-
525
;
531
-
534
;
541
-
544
; and
551
to
555
.
FIG. 2
displays portion of the hierarchical data illustrated in FIG.
3
.
FIG. 2
identifies the root nodes in column A of window
105
, non-terminal nodes in column B of window
105
, and terminal nodes in column C of window
105
. Each of terminal nodes
311
-
313
,
411
-
414
,
421
-
422
,
511
, and
521
-
522
are displayed on one row of rows
1
-
12
of window
105
in FIG.
2
. The conventional user interface of
FIG. 2
displays the root node and non-terminal node of each of terminal nodes
311
-
313
,
411
-
414
,
421
-
422
,
511
, and
521
-
522
, but the display is repetitive (e.g., displaying three instances of root node
305
in cells A1, A2, and A3). Moreover, the pertinent hierarchical relationships are obscured, which can result in confusion and inefficiency for a user viewing the conventional user interface of FIG.
2
. In view of the foregoing, it can be appreciated that a substantial need exists for methods and apparatus which can advantageously display hierarchical data.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention include methods and apparatus to display and scroll hierarchical data. A plurality of parent nodes can be displayed within a first display area, with each displayed parent node of the plurality of parent nodes having at least one child node. A computer can determine that at most one child node for each displayed parent node of the plurality of parent nodes is to be displayed. A child node scrolling instruction can be received. A child node display percentile can be determined based at least in part on the child node scrolling instruction. One child node of each displayed parent node of the plurality of parent nodes can be selected based at least in part on the determined child node display percentile. Each selected one child node of each displayed parent node of the plurality of parent nodes can be displayed in a second display area, with each displayed child node being displayed as associated with the displayed parent node of the displayed child node.
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AT&T Corp.
Brier Jeffery
Havan Thu-Thao
Kenyon & Kenyon
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